Full time

That's that then. England showed heart and guts and all those other clichés that lesser newspapers than this one will throw at you in mitigation for a defeat to a team that's simply much, much better. While we don't want to patronise this England team, it'd be harsh not to praise the work rate and their ability to compete at the highest level until the very end. Truly though, the likes of Ben and Aaron Smith, Cruden and the magnificent Savea are of a different class to those that the England players face in the northern hemisphere.

The All Blacks, terrifyingly, probably weren't at their best either. They were good enough to wrap up the series though, so do join me next weekend for the denouement in Hamilton.

Thanks for all your emails and tweets and sorry I couldn't use them all. I'll see you all over on the cricket OBO this afternoon. Bye!

Captain Chris Robshaw looks dejected with team mate Billy Vunipola after the defeat. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty

Updated at 11.12am BST

10.21am BST

Converted try! New Zealand 28-27 England (Ashton)

A poor pass from Farrell in midfield goes miles behind Brown and England are back on the AB 10m line. A good wide pass from Yarde out to Brown via Wood and Tuilagi. He goes down the right and offloads to Ashton. The All Blacks have stopped now and allow the replacement to jog under the posts and dot down. Farrell gives the scoreline the veneer of being close but, in all truth, it wasn't.

80 min Good scrum from England and Vunipola charges up the middle. It's passed wide but Brown slips and we go back for an England penalty. Farrell finds a good touch in the ABs' 22, 10m out on the left.

10.17am BST

78 min Great scrum from England and they get the penalty. Not so great kick from Farrell and he misses touch, allowing the brilliant Ben Smith to dance back at England, but it's knocked on.

"I don’t think any of the ball touched the ground," writes Nicholas Varley of Brown's try. "First, Brown’s own arm stopped it, then the defender’s hand stopped it. The TMO doesn’t seem to know the rules. Clearly, the ball not touching the grass is a pretty good reason not to award the try!" Not so sure about that, I think there was the briefest brush of the grass with ball.

10.14am BST

76 min Parling fumbles and McCaw steals the lineout! England are getting smashed backwards here but the captain is held up over the line.

Also the score is 28-20 at the moment, which you'll see in the last score update if you refresh the page.

10.12am BST

75 min Barrett picks it up on the loop around from Nonu and blazes into the 22, up to within 5m. It's passed one way then the other before Vito is tackled into touch 5m out just before he can offload.

10.11am BST

73 min Great defence from Lawes as a prod through by Barrett threatens to put Savea away. England swing the ball infield looking to go, but Twelvetrees runs into Dylan Hartley just outside his 22 and it's a scrum for the ABs in a great position.

10.09am BST

Converted try! New Zealand 28-20 England (Brown)

The referee isn't sure but the TMO points out that the question was "is there any reason I cannot award the try?" and rules that there was none. Farrell converts from the left.

I think he's just about got the tiniest little bit of the ball down...

10.06am BST

71 min Right England get a free kick at the scrum, inside the 22. Vunipola and Marler lead the charge up towards the line. It's flicked out to Tuilagi, who looks to hand off Savea, the joker that he is. When that AMAZINGLY doesn't work, England go left and Brown steps through two tackles to go over. This might be some brilliant work by Cory Jane to hold him up but we'll check...

Updated at 10.15am BST

10.04am BST

69 min Care knocks on at the back of the maul. It's not been Danny Care's day today.

10.03am BST

68 min England win the lineout and work it infield but Vunipola of all people is driven back on the 22. England have another penalty though for an offence at the maul and Twelvetrees sticks it in the corner. This game is up, but a confidence-boosting score wouldn't be remiss.

10.02am BST

67 min England get a penalty on halfway in the centre of the pitch and Twelvetrees kicks to touch 5m out. For a moment Savea looks to have brilliantly kept it in, bu the flag is up.

Try! New Zealand 26-13 England (Nonu)

England clear from the lineout and Savea can't gather, but the ball bounces backwards and Conrad Smith runs a beautiful straight line to scythe through England's depleted backline. He spins a wide pass to Nonu on the right and the number 12 steps inside two tackles to score.

Aaron Smith of the All Blacks makes a break. Photograph: Martin Hunter/Getty

Updated at 10.14am BST

9.58am BST

63 min Barrett puts the cross-field kick in behind Tuilagi and the makeshift winger is lucky to see the ball bounce into touch, 5m from his own line, before Savea canb bear down on it.

9.57am BST

62 min Brown fields Nonu's chip and returns with one of his own, then taps that one back very nicely for Wood to recover on the floor. It's passed to Twelvetrees in the stand-off role with Farrell off, but the Gloucester man kicks poorly and it goes over the dead ball line. AB's scrum on halfway.

9.55am BST

60 min Lawes is immediately into the action as he charges down Smith's box kick. New Zealand line-out on their own 22, where Parling gets a hand to it and knocks on.

9.54am BST

Penalty New Zealand 21-13 England (Barrett)

From 15m, slightly to the right of the sticks, Barrett has no problem in extending the lead to eight points. It could so easily have been worse there.

9.53am BST

58 min New Zealand maul upfield and they've got the advantage. The ball is worked infield and there's no doubt who has the advantage at the breakdown now: England are simply driven backwards and another penalty comes as Farrell refuses to roll away and is sent to the sin bin.

57 min Absurdly fast and open game this. Messam is wrapped up and turned over by Yarde, then Farrell's dink over the top is so nearly gathered by Twelvetrees in midfield. Savea gets it though and chips into space but Farrell goes back and gets it, only to find he has Savea on his back driving him into touch. Lawes and Vunipola are on.

9.49am BST

55 min He hits the post and Tuilagi wants to play ball. He passes to Brown, who sensibly wants to belt ball upfield. He does so, Ben Smith returns with too much interest and Brown dots down for a 22m drop-out.

9.48am BST

54 min Left it goes and Ben Smith, slippery and electric as an eel, is almost impossible to lay a hand on. Eventually he his brought down just outside the 22, but it's a penalty to New Zealand wide on the left, 25m out. Beauden Barrett, who is on as a replacement, will take this one.

9.47am BST

53 min England clear from the lineout up to their own 10m line, but here come New Zealand again...

9.46am BST

51 min Cruden hooked the conversion miles wide but no matter as Kaino breaks out of his 22 and New Zealand fling it right. In a flash they've made it to the England 22 thanks to some outstanding offloading and they come left. Conrad Smith steps through in midfield and passes right to Messam on the wing, but he can't gather it and the ball goes to touch. England on the ropes.

9.44am BST

Try! New Zealand 18-13 England (Savea)

That was coming. England were stretched as Nonu went on an arcing run outside Burrell and shrugs the Saints centre off. He offloads to Kaino who himself offloads to Savea, who dives over in the corner.

Julian Savea scores the try to put the All Blacks in front. Photograph: Anthony Phelps/Reuters

Updated at 9.56am BST

9.42am BST

48 min New Zealand knock-on at the restart but England look to play some rugby and Parling is caught. England retain it but after kicking it away Aaron Smith bursts down the right and blows a chance when he doesn't pass to the man on the overlap and is caught by Farrell. New Zealand work it through the phases inside the 22 now...

9.41am BST

Penalty New Zealand 13-13 England (Farrell)

From 40m, just to left, Farrell puts it through the uprights. And now Dylan Hartley is on for Webber. Scores level and England are getting their hard men on.

9.40am BST

46 min You have to give a lot of credit to Cruden there for the diagonal run that drew men towards him, waiting for him to straighten, before throwing the pass wide to Savea. Less good is this flapped pass on his own 10m line, which goes forwards. England get the penalty at the scrum.

9.38am BST

Converted try! New Zealand 13-10 England (Ben Smith)

The ball is fumbled and New Zealand come away. It's spun left and Savea has the ball in acres of space on the left inside his own half. Unsurprisingly, he's not in his own half for long as he thunders up the touchline and passes inside to the unmarked Ben Smith, who crosses under the posts.

9.36am BST

42 min England chip over the top and Savea is taken out by a very questionable hit from Farrell. The All Blacks recycle and clear well though, isolating Morgan inside his own 22. England retain it and go left... then right... then left again and they're breaking the gainline but...

9.34am BST

41 min From the kick-off, Smith puts a kick out on the full and England have a lineout on the AB's 10m line, on the right-hand side.

9.33am BST

Guardian writers' problems:

Emma John (@em_john)

Now is the true Test. Will Sky Go work on the train? Can I watch rugby on the way to the cricket? #NZLvENG

England need calm heads here. Both sides have made too many unforced errors through simply rushing things. England know they can beat this All Blacks side now, they just need to be more careful, more clinical.

9.21am BST

Penalty and half-time: New Zealand 6-10 England

Cruden slots it comfortably. I'm off for a comfort break. That was played at an absurd pace.

9.21am BST

40 min + 1 In that move Conrad Smith cleared but failed to find touch. Care gathered but knocked on and now New Zealand have a penalty from the scrum, 38m out and wide on the left. Cruden will kick for goal.

On a side note, a proper winger would have scored in Tuilagi's position there. Oh for Chris Ashton.

9.18am BST

40 min Oh my! Cruden passes wide but Smith knocks on and Tuilagi is away! He's up to the 5m line but can't hand Ben Smith off and Brown is too well marked for the inside pass. Ben Smith makes a brilliant tackle and then turns it over in one move. Phenomenal defence!

Manu Tuilagi of England breaks clear with the ball. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty

Updated at 10.02am BST

9.17am BST

39 min It's popped down by Retallick and Coles goes down the short side. New Zealand fling it inside and Nonu crashes through once again, up to the 5m line. Wood goes in to disrupt the attack and the ball flies out the back of the ruck. New Zealand still have it to the right of the posts but they're back to the 22.

9.16am BST

37 min Twelvetrees concedes a penalty going off his feet at the ruck. Cruden kicks to the left-hand touchline on the England 22. Good platform this for the ABs.

9.15am BST

36 min Brilliant from Tom Wood as he takes a pass from Webber, breaks a tackle then offloads one-handed while going to ground from a tap tackle. England recycle but Nonu then wins the turnover. New Zealand lose it, then England lose it again and New Zealand run into the 22 thanks to a sniping run from the 10m line by Aaron Smith. The offloading isn't great though and Dave Wilson puts a clearance kick to touch when it goes loose.

9.13am BST

34 min Finalluy New Zealand knock-on as McCaw drops it in contact just behind the England 10m line. That was poor kicking from Yarde, who needed to get the ball off the pitch with New Zealand returning with ball in hand relentlessly.

9.11am BST

32 min We've got some kick tennis as Brown goes down injured after colliding with one of the AB's chasers. He gets back up as Savea looks to run down the left, but he's not looking entirely happy. New Zealand opt to run it and a neat kick through bounces awkwardly for the England full-back. Tuilagi is back and recovers, and eventually the ball is worked back to Yarde who kicks into space but again misses touch.

9.09am BST

31 min The throw isn't straight and New Zealand have a scrum on the England 10m line, 15m in from the right-hand touchline.

9.08am BST

30 min Robshaw intercepts as Smith looks to whip a quick pass away from the lineout and England throw it left along the halfway line. Twelvetrees' pass is then very nearly picked off by Conrad Smith, but the New Zealand centre had his eye on Burrell and the ball bounced into touch via his back.

9.07am BST

29 min Poor from Aaron Smith, who spills it at the base of the maul and England turn it over. Yarde kicks ahead but it's easily fielded by Ben Smith. New Zealand get it inside to Nonu who sends a lovely chip over the top into space and Farrell does very well to run back, turn and clear.

9.05am BST

27 min Farrell puts it high and Jane makes a great catch under pressure from Twelvetrees, who drives him back in the tackle. It's recycled and New Zealand run up to halfway down the right, but there's a knock-on and England put width on the ball. Brown spots a gap behind the backline but his raking, diagonal kick isn't great and Ben Smith gathers, before scuffing his clearance to touch. England commit an offence at the lineout and it's a soft penalty to New Zealand. Whew.

9.03am BST

26 min England work it inside and Yarde comes off his wing, breaking through the tackles. England go left from centre field but Morgan gets wrapped up and slow ball means Farrell has to kick, but it's charged down and England are going backwards.

9.01am BST

24 min New Zealand go to the right flank from the lineout with some neat passing along the line, which I guess is an improvement on last time. Farrell gets shrugged off by Nonu, but Burrell wraps up Cory Jane and forces the winger to knock it forward.

9.00am BST

23 min Tuilagi gets the ball in his hands for what I think is the first time and runs into Savea... who knocks him flat on his back. England go back inside but Care's box kick for the corner is poor and goes straight out again. Another lineout to the All Blacks on their own 10m line.

8.58am BST

20 min Savea shows his dangerous he is by coming off his wing and simply running over Robshaw as if the England captain wasn't there. We go back though because Nonu took Farrell out off the ball, the Saracens man putting in a pathetic dive to make sure the referee noticed. He's rewarded with a shot at goal from right in front on halfway. Farrell misses the penalty though.

8.57am BST

19 min Parling goes into Courtney Lawes mode and absolutely smashes his man in midfield. It wins the turnover and Care looks to kick into the corner. The touch judge reckons it's landed on the line though and we go back to the All Black's 10m line for a home lineout.

8.55am BST

18 min Dragged miles wide. It remains New Zealand 3-10 England.

8.55am BST

17 min Cruden puts the chip over the top of Tuilagi and he's slow getting back. The ball bounces awkwardly away from the covering Brown but he gathers superbly at the second attempt, preventing the knock-on. He holds on in the tackle though and Cruden has a shot at goal from about 45m, 10m to the left of goal.

8.53am BST

16 min Quick ball again and you can see the panic Danny Care is creating in the All Black's defence as he sears off the back of the set piece. Sadly the rest of the England backs aren't quite as quick of thought as their number nine and it's spilled in midfield.

8.52am BST

15m Cruden looks for Jane with the cross-field kick to the right wing and for a moment Yarde looks to be in a bit of trouble. It's overcooked though and England have a lineout midway between the 10m line and the 22.

8.51am BST

13 min Farrell's restart bounces loose and Tuilagi is right on it. The AB's get it and clear but England look to run it and Twelvetrees brilliantly sidesteps two defenders and cuts into the 22. Sadly England can't get clean ball, Care perhaps getting a bit too cute. England still have it but they're pushed back to the New Zealand 10m line. Brown looks to go forward but it's a forward pass and New Zealand have a scrum on the 10m line.

8.48am BST

Penalty New Zealand 3-10 England (Cruden)

Slots it.

8.48am BST

11 min Retallick drives and is held up 2m short. The All Blacks spin it left but Cruden flaps at the ball and momentum is lost. We're going back though for a penalty for offside at the breakdown. Cruden to go for goal.

8.47am BST

10 min New Zealand looking to hit back here and Ben Smith steps well to get past Burrell. The ball's recycled and Nonu scythes into the 22, straight through Twelvetrees. This is dangerous from the All Blacks as they're breaking tackles and they get up to England's 5m line, wide on the right.

8.45am BST

9 min It was actually Care's dart off the back of the ruck that fixed Richie McCaw in the build-up to that try.

Converted try! New Zealand 0-10 England (Yarde)

Marland Yarde of England dives over to score the first try. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty

Updated at 9.50am BST

8.43am BST

6 min Whitelock steals it but Aaron Smith's clearance is charged down and Launchbury goes into the 22. It's offloaded inside to Webber and he's right up to the line! England go left and then switch right. Burrell takes it into contact and England go left again, into the corner but a brilliant counter ruck from McCaw turns it over. The ABs kick to touch but then...

8.41am BST

5 min England get quick ball from the lineout and Burrell bursts through. England move it left and Twelvetrees stabs a kick through but Ben Smith, moving to full-back in place Israel Dagg gathers inside his 22 and the ABs clear. Good start for England this. They have a lineout about 38m out on the left and then...

8.39am BST

4 min This is ridiculous. England claim the restart and maul it, and New Zealand join incorrectly again. It's McCaw again and he's told it'll be a yellow card next time. Farrell kicks down the left, just ahead of the 10m line.

8.38am BST

Penalty New Zealand 0-3 England (Farrell 3)

Farrell nails it.

"Experimenting with an out of position back against NZ?" writes Robin Hazelhurst. "I seem to remember France doing that at the last WC. Didn't go too well as I recall..."

8.37am BST

2 min Parling takes it and England maul upfield through Marler. McCaw is penalised for joining the maul incorrectly – what a shocker – and it's a second penalty inside the first two minutes to England. Farrell will go for goal from wide on the left, about 40m out.

8.36am BST

1 min New Zealand claim the kick-off but England carry them into touch outside the 22. England win the lineout and immediately get the penalty, which Farrell kicks up to touch on the left, on the AB's 10m line.

8.35am BST

Here we go. Cruden kicks off.

8.31am BST

Confidence among England fans. I feel like I'm the only person who thinks they can do this.

Oh here they are. The All Blacks are looking very calm and very composed. This is ominous, I'll wager. There's been next to no bluster coming from the New Zealand camp following last week's poor performance, which lends to the sense that the backlash could be fearsome. We're just running through the anthems now.

8.27am BST

The England players are on the pitch. The All Blacks aren't yet.

8.20am BST

Steve Hansen speaks! He says that the main thing they've been working on in midweek is their attitude to the game. He's looking for the front five not to fall away in the second half as they did a week ago. Hansen actually sounds thoroughly fed up, especially when he talks about the need not to kick ball away.

8.09am BST

Here's what the picture wires are turning up for today's match. I did not expect this. And sorry.

What the... Photograph: Rob Jefferies/Getty Images

8.04am BST

So how can England win this? Well, for my money their bench is actually stronger than New Zealand's. I would imagine the starting XV is going to go hell for leather at the All Blacks and try to grind them down. Then, around the 60 minute mark, with the game ideally still in the balance, they unleash Hartley, Lawes and Vunipola from the bench to do some serious damage.

7.53am BST

Musical interlude

With the most tenuous of connections to New Zealand (I'll leave it to you guys to figure it out), here's something to wake up anyone foolish enough to stay up and watch Chile v Australia last night until 1am, knowing they had to be in work at 7.30am.

One big doubt I have, from an England perspective, is Manu Tuilagi on the wing. On the whole I reckon it might be a good idea, allowing the in-form Burrell to play alongside the kicking option that is Twelvetrees. He's as strong a back as England have and given space out wide his pace could be a handful. But...

The All Blacks are the last team on earth that you should be experimenting against. For all Tuilagi's prowess in attack – and indeed for his improvement in defence – he's directly up against probably the most formidable winger in world rugby in Julian Savea. The All Black may only just be back from injury, but he is still a 6'4", 231lb man who can run the 100m in under 11 seconds. He's a handful, in other words.

Tuilagi also isn't the quickest in the world on the turn and, if Aarons Cruden and Smith are on their game, the kick in behind the makeshift winger for Savea to chase could create a number of heart-in-mouth moments for Stuart Lancaster.

Right, that's your reverse-jinx out the way.

2.59pm BST

Preamble

Morning folks. If we were to look at this series like a movie, then the first Test was act one, where the protagonist (if you're an England fan, that is) comes so close to realising their dream only to have it snatched away by Conrad Smith in the dying minutes. In truth it's a rubbish screenplay and perhaps too literal an allegory. Nevertheless, a woefully depleted England came within 120 seconds of what would have been a quite unbelievable win and it says a lot for the mentality that Stuart Lancaster has instilled that they're not happy with just that.

So on to act two, where the cavalry has arrived. Those players from Northampton and Saracens who were unavailable last time are England's secret weapon, their deus ex machina, that magic Super Powerful Laser Gun Spell that Harry Potter brings out to defeat evil Lord Gandalf*. Into the matchday 23 come Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes, Chris Ashton, Luther Burrell, Owen Farrell, Tom Wood, Billy Vunipola and the hitherto injured Danny Care. That's a mighty crop of players and New Zealand will need to improve enormously on a very shabby performance last week if they want to extend their winning run to a phenomenal 16 Tests in a row.

This is the problem. New Zealand tend to have one dodgy match a series and then go on to sweep all before them. The worry for England is that although they were depleted, last week was their big opportunity to win in New Zealand for only the third time and that now Steve Hansen's team are ready to bring the pain. England's progress over the past three years though has been astonishing: they've gone from the laughing stock of world rugby to outside contenders for next year's World Cup. A win here probably couldn't be described as "making history", but it would be a hell of an achievement. The team are confident and you know what? So am I. I don't think England will win this series, but I can see them beating the All Blacks here tonight. Who'da thunk that a couple of years ago?